Saturday, November 2, 2013

The best sedan for under $20K

After looking at the specifications of close to thirty sedans under $20,000 in six different heats, I've come up with the following six finalists, which will now be put to the test in one final grand challenge!  Here are the finalists:

Bracket #1: 2013 Chevrolete Cruze 1LT MT
Bracket #2: 2013 Hyundai Accent GLS 4-door
Bracket #3: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic LS Manual Sedan
Bracket #4: 2013 Mazda Mazda3 i Sport MT 4-door
Bracket #5: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS M/T

So here we go!  As before, I've entered these six cars into thevehicleforme.com and come up with some results:



Link to Comparison Page
The Hyundai Elantra ends up winning on the strength of its power, interior space, and fuel economy, while the Mazda 3 and Suzuki SX4 contest 2nd and 3rd place respectively.  The Mazda3's strengths seem to be mostly in the areas of fuel economy and power, though you'll notice that it's power to weight ratio is a bit lower than the others due to how much heavier it is than the others.  The Suzuki SX4 is surprising in it's power and interior space, but it can't quite get it together in terms of fuel economy and it is punished for that here.  The Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Cruze are a very close 4th and 5th, ending up only a few points behind.  Overall, the Elantra ends up winning because it does justice to power, interior space, and fuel economy, and it has a great warranty to boot.

Winner: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS M/T